Coming to the end of a 10-day, 5 game trip to the Pacific Northwest, the Golden Eagles would not be denied a victory against the Frontier conference powerhouse college. Having been defeated by 47 and 26 points in their last two games versus Carroll College the team knew it would be a tall order to defeat the Saints.
It was a 6-point game at halftime with Carroll College holding a 28-22 lead.
The Golden Eagles came out hot and quickly evened the score at 32 each with a
driving layup by Sophomore Victoria Lowe (14 points and 12 rebounds). It was a
close game throughout the entire second half.
Carroll College took a 7-point lead into the last 2 minutes and it seemed bleak
for the Golden Eagles. However, following a crucial turnover and a key 3-point
basket with 6 seconds remaining, La Sierra took a 2 point lead. The Saints
however scored on a layup with 1.2 seconds remaining and sent the game to
overtime. In overtime the Golden Eagles jumped out to a 5 point lead led by
Sophomore Joirdan Jones' deep 3-point basket with 1:24 to go. The Golden Eagles
were able to hang on with crucial free-throw shooting down the stretch to claim
the victory in front of over 200 Carroll College fans.
"It was a great win for our program" said Coach Thorson. "To
defeat a team as talented and well-coached as Carroll College is definitely a
sign that the program is headed in the right direction."
The Golden Eagles return to action on Saturday night, Jan.14 when they play
host to the Cal State Univ. San Marcos Cougars. That game will tip-off at
7:30pm.
